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With COVID hospitalizations at a record, NC asks FEMA to send more staff

North Carolina had a record 4,867 people in hospitals with COVID-19 on Friday, a record that has been climbing daily since the beginning of the year.

Posted Updated

By
Ali Ingersoll, WRAL investigative data reporter,
and
Jodi Leese Glusco, WRAL director of digital content

North Carolina had a record 4,867 people in hospitals with COVID-19 on Friday, a record that has been climbing daily since the beginning of the year.

The state Department of Health and Human Services has reached out to the federal government for help with staffing at strapped hospitals in the Charlotte region.

"The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services and North Carolina Emergency Management are requesting federal support for the Charlotte region to help alleviate capacity constraints," the DHHS wrote on Friday.

Atrium Health, the state's largest health provider, is above capacity and running out of ways to stretch an already-reduced staff to care for the growing number of COVID patients.

DHHS Secretary Kody Kinsely blamed some of the strain on unvaccinated people, who more easily contract COVID-19 and are more likely to suffer complications that require hospitalization.

"The vast majority of people hospitalized with COVID-19 are unvaccinated," Kinsley said. "While we will continue to pull every lever we can to safeguard hospital care, each North Carolinian can do their part by staying up-to-date with COVID-19 vaccinations and wearing a well-fitting mask when around other people as we weather this surge."

North Carolina's COVID-19 numbers

20,037: Deaths in North Carolina of people with COVID-19 through Jan. 20, 2022.
35,395: New cases of COVID-19 reported on Jan. 21, 2022.
4,867: People in North Carolina hospitals with COVID-19 on Jan. 21, 2022.
28,831: Average new cases per day in North Carolina over the past seven days on Jan. 19, 2022.
34.3%: Percentage of tests were showing evidence of the virus on Jan. 21, 2022.
1,060,747: Cases of COVID reported across the United States on Jan. 18, 2022
2,147,777: COVID cases to date in North Carolina through Jan. 19, 2022.
9: Rank of North Carolina among states with greatest number of reported cases
15: Rank of North Carolina among states by number of coronavirus deaths
59%: Population of North Carolina with either two shots of Pfizer or Moderna or one shot of Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

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